The notion of a waterway north of Eurasia, conceived in the first half of the sixteenth century, remained only a dream for centuries, due to ice, unmapped coastlines and a lack of geographical knowledge. This volume is the first comprehensive, scholarly account in English of the slow but steady exploration and commercial exploitation of the Siberian coastal waters, and it proves that this was a truly international endeavour. However, in the end, the Northern Sea Route as a through traverse route came to be used primarily by the Soviet Union, for which it became a crucial vehicle for the geopolitical and economic integration of its vast territories. As an international trade route the Northern Sea Route is only today about to win its way, essentially as a result of global warming. This being the case, should we rejoice or despair?